News article: Concerns about adequacy of $100 million dust cleanup

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Critics: $1(X)M dust-cleaning may be too little too late ■ Damage may A. already be done for hundreds of ‘SHBli'iBSsl downtown cleaning workers SL ■ ' ■■ -L * ; LI without protective gear since Sept. 11 ^■SSSaUIDMHMlg Sii HWWBgWSgggB

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lapse, but critics say the program may come months too late to help those who were at greatest risk. “It would have been far, far bet­ ter for the EPA to have done this "*1 iS much sooner,” said Jonathan Ben­ nett, spokesman for the nonprofit New York Committee for Occupa­ tional Safety and Health. “It would have given people protection from things that are now in their lungs that they can’t be protected from now.” Federal and city environmental officials announced last week that they would spend unlimited funds ASSOCIATED PRESS to professionally clean and test air quality in the apartment of any With the World Financial Center complex in the background, resident who requests the work. work continues at the site of the World Trade Center terrorist Samples of the dust that settled attacks. after the trade center collapse show varying amounts of asbestos, . „ . . , , ,, , fiberglass and caustic concrete and often reassumg assessments every resident asked for cleamng, powder risks posed by the dust. testing and a vacuum cleaner. Labor advocates said this week The Environmental Protection faJ’fXerthM‘'mW°?D2tS^^ that federal and citv appncies left Agency has not estimated an over- ‘7” lewer man zd,uuu apanment that leoerai ana city agencies leri e j eleannn nro- dwellers will request cleanup so workers unnecessarily exposed the cost wiU be well below the top for months. gam, spokeswoman Mary Mears ^he Federal Emer- Hundreds of cleaning workers gency Management Agency has — many of whom worked with in- But industry officials said pro- pledged unlimited funds to the adequate protective gear — have fessional asbestos abatement cleanup effort. reported respiratory ailments and could cost an average of $4,000 per ggu Hillary Rodham Clinton other problems after cleaning apartment. The agency also is of- ^gked FEMA in a letter yesterday dusi-laden offices aad apartments, fering air testing and high-effi- to expand the cleaning program to These laborers'facfe a slightly ele- ciency vacuum cleaners, which to- include small businesses and a re- vated risk of asbestos-related can- gether could cost an additional imbursement program for resi- cer in coming decades, scientists $800 per apartment, on average. [jgnts who already have paid said. Census figures show 23,700 occu- cleanup costs out of pocket. Much cleanup work finished pied housing units below Canal Whatever the cost, scientists months ago — while government Street, which could drive overall and EPA officials say the remain­ agencies were issuing conflicting costs as high as $113 million if ing dust poses little health risk. sxAdvQDoe 5- /5-oa NYC-WTC_000143023